Home > Statistics > Labour force survey > 2009 > February > Unemployment rate 1,2 percentage points higher in February than one year previously

Published: 24 March 2009

Unemployment rate 1,2 percentage points higher in February than one year previously

According to the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland, the number of employed persons in February 2009 was 2 441 000, or 25 000 lower than a year earlier. The number of employees was slightly lower than in February 2008, whereas that of self-employed persons grew. The number of employed persons fell especially in the provinces of Oulu and Lapland. The number of employees in continuing full-time employment fell by 84 000, whereas that of employees in fixed-term and part-time employment grew. Figures by industry will be published in connection with the release of data on the first quarter on 28 April 2009. The figures will be published according to revised TOL 2008 Standard Industrial Classification.

In February 2009, the employment rate , that is, the proportion of the employed among persons aged 15 to 64, stood at 68,0 per cent, which was 1,0 percentage points lower than one year before. Adjusted for seasonal and random variation, the trend of the employment rate was 69,9 per cent. The employment rate for men fell by 2,3 percentage points to 68,2 per cent. The employment rate for women went up by 0,4 percentage points and was 67,7 per cent. The employment rate of people aged 55 to 64 continued to grow, by 0,9 percentage points, and stood at 55,0 per cent.

Changes in the labour force 2009/02 – 2008/02 according to Statistics Finland’s Labour Force Survey, thousand persons

	2009/02	2008/02	Change, % 2009/02 - 2008/02
Population aged 15-74	4 017	3 995	0,6
Labour force, total	2 641	2 633	0,3
Employed, total	2 441	2 465	–1,0
– employees	2 108	2 155	–2,2
– self-employed persons and unpaid family workers	332	309	7,5
Unemployed persons	200	167	19,4
Total persons not in labour force	1 375	1 361	1,0
			Percentage points
Employment rate (persons aged 15 to 64), %	68,0	68,9	–1,0
Unemployment rate, %	7,6	6,4	1,2
Labour force participation rate, %	65,8	65,9	–0,2
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column. The data comply with the ILO/EU definition.

According to the Labour Force Survey, there were 200 000 unemployed in February 2009, i.e. 33 000 more than in February of the year before. The number of unemployed men grew by 30 000 and that of unemployed women by 3 000.

At 7,6 per cent, the unemployment rate was 1,2 percentage points higher in February than one year earlier. The trend of the unemployment rate was 7,1 per cent in February. Men’s unemployment rate rose by 2,3 percentage points to 8,1 per cent, while that of women remained at the 7,0 per cent level. In February 2009, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 was 19,8 per cent, which was 3,3 percentage points higher than in the previous year’s February. The trend of the unemployment rate among young people was 16,3 per cent. The unemployment rate was lowest in the Province of Southern Finland, where it stood at 6,5 per cent, and highest, at 11,6 per cent, in the Province of Eastern Finland.

The number of persons not in the labour force was 14 000 higher in February than twelve months earlier.

Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy

At the end of February 2009, there were altogether 250 000 persons registered, in accordance with the Unemployment Security Act and the Employment Office Regulations, as job seekers at the employment and economic development offices . The number of unemployed job seekers was 40 000 higher than in February 2008. Unemployment grew from the previous year in the areas of all Employment and Economic Development Centres. The number of unemployed job-seekers increased most in South Ostrobothnia (33%), Pirkanmaa (28%) and Ostrobothnia (28%). At the end of February, the number of laid off persons registered at the employment and economic development offices was 32 000, which was 22 000 more than twelve months earlier. The number of persons covered by labour market policy measures totalled 80 000 at the end of February, which was 3 000 fewer than in February of the year before. Altogether 3,0 per cent of the labour force were covered by labour market policy measures. There were 29 000 unemployed job seekers aged under 25 registered at the employment and economic development offices. Their number was 9 000 higher than in February of the year before. During this February, 47 000 new vacancies were reported to the employment and economic development offices, which is 19 000 fewer than in February 2008.

Changes 2009/02 – 2008/02 according to the Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, thousand persons

	2009/02	2008/02	Change, % 2009/02 - 2008/02
Unemployed job seekers	250	210	19,0
– unemployed over a year	40	47	–13,6
Total measures	80	84	–3,8
– employed with subsidised measures	35	35	–0,7
– in labour market training	30	31	–5,0
– in trainee and job alternation places	16	17	–7,7
New vacancies at employment and economic development offices	47	66	–29,2
Unrounded figures are used in the Change column.

Contact information for the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:
Mr Petri Syvänen, tel. +359 10 604 8050, http://www.tem.fi/employmentbulletin

Links

Differences between the Labour Force Survey and the Employment Service Statistics are explained in the quality description of the Labour Force Survey.

Labour Force Survey first quarter data will be published according to TOL 2008 in April 2009

Latest seasonally adjusted employment figures published by the EU  can be found under the theme of Population and social conditions on Eurostat's home page http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu.

Source: Labour force survey 2009, February. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Juha Martikainen (09) 1734 3225, Kalle Sinivuori (09) 1734 3524, Veli Rajaniemi (09) 1734 3434, tyovoimatutkimus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

Publication in pdf-format (429.2 kB)

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Appendix tables

• 1.1 Key indicators in the Labour Force Survey by sex 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 1.2 Population aged 15-74 by labour force status and sex 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 1.3 Population aged 15-74 by sex and age 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 2.1 Labour force participation rate by sex and age 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 2.2 Labour force by sex and age 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 3.1 Employment rate by sex and age 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 3.2 Employed persons by sex and age 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 3.3 Employed persons by status in employment 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 3.4 Employed persons by employer sector 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 3.5 Employed persons by province 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 3.6 Proportion of part-time employed persons in all employed persons by sex 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 3.7 Part-time employed persons by sex 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 4.1 Employees by type of employment relationship (%) 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 4.2 Employees by type of employment relationship 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 5.1 Unemployment rate by sex and age 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 5.2 Unemployed persons by sex and age 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 5.3 Unemployment rate by province 2009/02 - 2008/02 (24.3.2009)
• 6.1 Seasonally adjusted trends 2009/02 (24.3.2009)

Figures

• 1.1 Employed persons, trend and original series (24.3.2009)
• 1.2 Employment rate, trend and original series (24.3.2009)
• 2.1 Unemployed persons, trend and original series (24.3.2009)
• 2.2 Unemployment rate, trend and original series (24.3.2009)

Quality descriptions

• Quality Description: Labour force survey (24.3.2009)

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Updated 24.03.2009